The Galaxy Buds+ lack active noise
cancellation (ANC) and waterproofing, but the newly announced AKG N400 offer
both. They do cost about 30% more, but they are still much more affordable than
the AirPods Pro.
The N400 is a pair of true wireless
earbuds. They have 8.2mm drivers and come with a selection of tips, including
Comply foam tips. The buds on their own last 6 hours (5 hours with ANC
enabled), the case adds 6 more hours to the playback time. And it charges
quickly too, a 10 minute charge is enough for 1 hour of playback. The case
supports wireless charging.
The noise cancellation feature uses two
mics per earbud and promises distortion-free sound. The level of cancellation
can be controlled from the app (Ambient Aware) and tapping the left earbud
turns on TalkThru so you can hear what's going on around you. Beam forming is
used to pick up your voice clearly (while blocking background noise) during
calls.
The right bud can skip tracks and answer
calls with a tap and change the volume with a swipe. Additionally, you can use
voice commands for digital assistants - Bixby, Siri and Google Assistant are
supported.
The AKG N400 feature IPX7 water resistance
- they can last up to 30 minutes under 1m of fresh water. You wouldn't want to
go swimming with them, but no amount of rain and sweat can scare these earbuds.
The N400 only shows up only on Samsung's
Korean site for now where they cost KRW 230,000 (US$ 190/€ 170, compared to the
Galaxy Buds+ which go for KRW 180,000. The new AKG buds come in Black, Silver
and Navy, that last one is a dual tone paint job with a splash of gold.
